LES: Lesson - Rincón Cultural: Cuba y Equatorial Guinea

Rincón Cultural: Cuba y Equatorial Guinea

Each module in this course has at least one Culture Corner titled Rincón Cultural. A Spanish-speaking country/countries are highlighted in each module. Familiarize yourself with each country presented by studying the information carefully.

It would be advisable to keep a file on the Cultural Capsules throughout the entire course.

Cuba

Learn more about Cuba with the activity below.

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is the only sovereign African state in which Spanish is an official language. As of 2022, the country has a population of 1.5 million.

Equatorial Guinea consists of two parts, an insular region and a mainland region. The insular region consists of the islands of Bioko (formerly Fernando Pó) in the Gulf of Guinea and Annobón, a small volcanic island south of the equator. Bioko Island is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea and is the site of the country's capital, Malabo.

The mainland region, Río Muni, is bordered by Cameroon on the north and Gabon on the south and east. Rio Muni also includes several small offshore islands, such as Corisco, Elobey Grande, and Elobey Chico. Despite its name, no part of the country's territory lies on the equator—it is in the northern hemisphere, except for the insular Annobón Province, which is about 155 km south of the equator.

Since the mid-1990s, Equatorial Guinea has become one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil producers. With a population of almost two million, it is the richest country per capita in Africa, and its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita ranks 69th in the world; however, the wealth is distributed very unevenly and few people have benefited from the oil riches. The UN says that less than half of the population has access to clean drinking water and that 20% of children die before reaching five. 

Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the province of Bioko Norte. It is located on the north coast of the island of Bioko. Malabo is the oldest city in Equatorial Guinea. Many buildings within the city are built in the style of colonial architecture from the times of Spanish rule, coexisting with modern buildings built since independence.

The downtown streets, with a square design, reveal the ancient conception of a modern city with pedestrian areas. The city also offers numerous green areas and leisure. This phenomenon causes a feeling of architecture attenuated by the low height of buildings in a combination of architectural Westernization and Africanism. Oyala is a planned city currently under construction, designed to replace Malabo as the capital.

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